I wandered into the $2 per hour structure near Olympic in WC for the first time on Sunday. The lady next to me offered to give me her spot because it had an hour left. The sensors in the floor reset the meter to zero as soon as she pulled out. Then I dropped my quarter under the seat. Used all my spare change. No fun. I’ll dine elsewhere. I much prefer free parking by the movie theatre in Pleasant Hill.

Shopping and dining in Walnut Creek is a real treat, and I’m glad to pay such a fair amount for parking. Also, there are valet services …… very convenient, validation from a restaurant gives a discount, and you can leave your vehicle there until 11p, as a rule (check with valet at each location to be sure about that!)

Those who say they have absolutely no reason to go there probably aren’t doing much shopping and dining there now either. I have plenty of reasons to go to WC and will continue. Does anyone know if the planned renovations of Broadway Plaza include lots more parking?? I certainly hope so. They could make the nordstrom parking garage a couple stories higher, for one

I find the rates quite reasonable (and I didn’t mind free parking before). I love going to downtown for a little shopping/dining. This beats parking in SF for sure. People who find $2/hr parking rate absurd are welcome to Sunvalley.

Man, you peeps are all complainers. I don’t see what the big deal is and I park here ever day for work. If you don’t want to spend the time looking for change use a credit/debt card. It’s not rocket science. And if these new rules keep you away then great I have more spaces to pick from. Yay me.

I had choices of where to stop for lunch on Sunday. My husband was picking up my daughter’s car with me from Lafayette. I could have stopped anywhere on my way to a show in San Ramon but decided to try Citra Grill which I didn’t realize was in the heart of WC congestion central. So we had two cars, a hassle with traffic, me being stupid with the coins, him running back to put in an hour’s worth on a credit card on top of my change, me almost hitting a car changing spots to the one from the the friendly lady with an hour left on the meter which then disappeared, me being slow to meet for lunch because I dropped my last quarter and rummaged for more coins because I didn’t read the $2 an hour sign until it was too late (I had remembered getting lots of time for 25 cents before), and then having to get through congestion to turn left onto Olympic. Next time I would just pick a different city for sure. Complaining, yes, parking in WC is the topic and I would not suggest downtown WC as a meeting place for friends for those reasons.

I’ve lived in both WC and Concord. Aside from when I worked downtown, I’ve always avoided downtown WC like the plague in the past few years. I don’t care what they do about parking. I just get mad that I feel like a tourist in one of my own towns. It doesn’t feel like home down there anymore which is really sad. If I have to shop I just do it online now.

For what it’s worth, all of the parking garages on the south side of Mt. Diablo Boulevard (including the ones mentioned above with $2/hour meters) are all privately owned and operated. It’s not the City charging you to park there, it’s the stores/owners/landlords.

And c’mon people, parking garages are expensive to build. I don’t know about you, but I’d much rather have a cool downtown like Walnut Creek where I have to pay some pocket change to park in a garage, than some big and ugly (but free) surface lot like the CVS on California/Olympic, or Park-N-Shop in Concord.

In an economy that increasingly is leaving shopping centers & downtowns for the comfort of the iPad and delivery to the home, this seems to be counter productive. Short term planning with myopic vision.

Danville, Lafayette and Pleasant Hill are going to see the benefits of this.

Another word of warning….it is dark inside the parking garages and hard to read the signs. The lower level has parking meters inside the garage and signs I found confusing. I don’t know if the low light level is supposed to be romantic, energy conserving, or revenue producing, but take your time and read what you are supposed to do. I pulled into a different spot because the sign over the first one was so confusing.

Just Like the Highest Taxes in Concord. You Buy a Big Item, You go to Another City to Save On Sales Tax. You Don’t Want to Pay To Spend, You Shop Pleasant Hill, or Other “Tariff” Free Cities. Except Some Specialty Retailers, Many Similar Retailers are In Other Cities. It’s A Shame, and Might Reduce Traffic. Good For Them. Hire Some More Police. In The Begining it Appeared Broadway Plaza was Trying to Look Like “Blackhawk” Plaza. They Acheieved That. I’m Not Wealthy, but can still go to “Blackhawk” Plaza, where Most Are Wealthy, Have a Fun Afternoon, and Pay Nothing To Park, Eat, Shop. What Gives? The Other Day in Walnut Creek. Coffee $2.25, and Parking $4.00. Seems Like Someone Catering to a Certain “Class” of Shoppers. Forget those who are not quite Well Off! That’s how I see it…..Profiling? Na, not going there.

Whatever it takes for WC to make more $$$. I think we all know the real reason is not to solve parking; it IS to increase revenue. Same for red light cameras, saftey is an excuse to charge more people, even the innocent (most will just pay and the cities know this and take full advantage).

Oh wait, it’s not a big deal. Although I think the meters resetting is kinda mean. I love pulling into a spot with an hour left on it and feeling like it’s my lucky day.

“$2/hr is too much! I’m going to use $7 in gas and a $5 toll and go park in SF for $20 now!
Or maybe now I’ll only go shopping at the lower end stores in Pleasant Hill/Concord that I already exclusively shop at since I care so much about saving money”
Lol.

It’s only starting at $2….wait til they double it! I’ll shop elsewhere thank you. I used to go to breakfast each week or so and enjoyed the free parking…it was a nice early Sat thing….not anymore, I’m happy to spend my money in PH, Concord, Martinez or elsewhere….

Whatever happened to existing within the tax base of a municipality’s residents?? Cops are now glorified tax collectors, parking is a Taxation solution, (A ticket is hundreds of times greater than the original parking fee). Never ending growth to pay the debts of reckless spending, funds wasted on pet projects, bushiness courted and waivers given against residents Interests/wishes! WTF is going on in Walnut Creek?? In finance there is a principal known as FIDUCIARY DUTY; a fiduciary duty is a legal duty to act solely in another party’s interests. We need to hold the City council to Fiduciary standards so that they stop ruining our town!!

I don’t get the complaints. Street parking is now free until 10am, so you can get a late breakfast or coffee and still have time to go over to the bank…all for no charge. Plus, there’s now a free hour in the garages…which means a 2 hour dinner or shopping trip is 25 cents an hour. Even less if your restaurant validates parking. That’s a deal.

This is the first thing the WC city council has done in a LONG TIME that makes any sense. (Still doesn’t make up for the library, developer-butt-licking, and plastic bag ban…so I guess it’s understandable that people are knee jerk reacting negatively.)

.. on CA Supreme Court Strikes Down Residency Restrictions for Some Sex OffendersBack in 2011 AB-109 was made law. Use of GPS ankle trackers was promoted. http://www.sfgate.com/crime/article/Sex-offender-in-toy-aisle-assault-had-similar-6065758.php http://abc7news.com/archive/8560757/ http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/07/justice/california-sex-offenders-released/ http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/cgi-bin/postquery?bill_number=ab_109&sess=1112&house=B&author=committee_on_budget Check out who in the assembly voted

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